KHQ Right Now - News and Weather for Spokane and North Idaho | Police sergeant avoids prosecution
Member Center:
Spokane Police Sergeant Bradley Thoma in court after being cited for DUIMeghann M. Cuniff
The Spokesman-Review
SPOKANE, Wash. - A Spokane police sergeant will avoid criminal prosecution for a drunken hit-and-run crash if he stays out of trouble for five years.
Bradley N. Thoma, 44, was cited for drunken driving when he rear-ended a Mead woman’s truck in September, then drove away without stopping. A judge amended the charges Friday to include one count of misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident, then dismissed that charge after being presented with a letter from the victim that said she’d been paid for the damage to her vehicle and was “not interested in (pursuing) Mr. Thoma any further.”
The judge also allowed Thoma to enroll in a five-year deferred prosecution program that will result in the drunken driving charge being dismissed if he complies with the requirements.
By asking for the deferred prosecution, Thoma acknowledged he has a severe alcohol problem, said Brian O’Brien, Spokane County deputy prosecutor.
“Quite frankly, most people don’t want to go through deferred prosecution” because of the stringent requirements, O’Brien said. “It isn’t the easy way out."
The deal, however, left the victim of the hit-and-run accident feeling duped.
Sherry Prickett, 51, said she agreed to sign the letter prepared by the law office of Rob Cossey, who represents Thoma, only because she thought it referred to financial issues surrounding the crash. Thoma already had paid $471 to repair her vehicle and Prickett said she thought she was being asked to sign the letter e-mailed to her just hours before Friday’s court hearing to reflect that she didn’t want to seek more money.
“I do feel misled,” Prickett said. “If I had known it was releasing him of the hit-and-run charge I would never have signed.”
After reviewing the letter, Judge Douglas Robinson, a visiting judge from Whitman County, agreed to the deferred prosecution agreement and dropped the hit-and-run charge in Spokane County District Court on Friday morning.
|
More information from |
Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
STEVENS COUNTY, Wash.- KHQ received several calls early Tuesday morning from viewers in the Loon Lake area who heard two large explosions in their neighborhood.
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane County Sheriff's office is investigating an armed robbery at the Village Centre Cinemas on N. Division.
BOISE, Idaho. - An Idaho legislator wants to get rid of words like "lunatic" and "retarded" from state laws, saying they're outdated and disrespectful.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti. - Five of the 10 Americans detained in Haiti on kidnapping charges left jail Monday to see a Haitian judge.
NEW YORK, N.Y. - The Super Bowl was watched by more than 106 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of "M-A-S-H" to become the most-watched program in television history.
AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. - A woman wanted for stealing a puppy from NW Seed and Pet on Saturday was charged with theft after turning herself into officers Sunday.
TOKYO. - News reports out of Japan say Toyota plans to recall about 300,000 Prius hybrids worldwide over a brake problem, but a spokesman for Toyota says no decision on a Prius recall has been made.
BOISE, Idaho. - For Idaho students who think high school lasts forever, two lawmakers want to pay them to speed up their education.
SPOKANE, Wash. - Spokane Police are searching for a suspect after a local high school student reported being attacked while jogging in Riverfront Park Monday morning.
SPOKANE, Wash. - It's been one year since 42-year-old Suzette Werner was hit and killed by a vehicle in west central Spokane, and the crime still remains unsolved.
